


The Jeweler and The Society

by Carol_Molliniere



Category: Noli Me Tangere & Related Works - José Rizal, The Glass Scientists (Webcomic)
Genre: Gen, also a last name for simoun because how the hell does the man not have one, and gratuitous wikang filipino, invisible cats, prospective supporters wandering around the Society
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-25
Updated: 2018-08-25
Packaged: 2019-07-02 09:13:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15793503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Carol_Molliniere/pseuds/Carol_Molliniere
Summary: The Society for Arcane Sciences was not a place Crisostomo Ibarra remembered being in London the last time he was in the city. It must have been a recently founded institution - the paint on the facade of the building didn’t look as faded as the older buildings’ facades did. But it did have a reputation; the cab driver he had asked to bring him there called it “the newfangled building housing mad scientists”.And mad scientists were just what he needed, for his plans.(set before the events of El Filibusterismo)





	The Jeweler and The Society

**Author's Note:**

> You all haven't heard from me in a while, and were probably hoping for an update on my other fics. Which I haven't been working on. Sorry about that.
> 
> Anyway, I thought there wouldn't be any readers for this fic, which is why I didn't want to post it at first. But hey, I didn't expect readership for the Soul Eater AU and the Danganronpa AU, and yet here we are! ...I'm not gonna get my hopes up, though. Because not a lot of this makes sense if you haven't read at least the summaries of Jose Rizal's novels.
> 
> Here's to hoping I find some other Filipino TGS fans! (Highly unlikely, though.) But for now, have this elaboration on a certain headcanon of mine.
> 
> And for those who need a translation, refer to the end notes.

The Society for Arcane Sciences was not a place Crisostomo Ibarra remembered being in London the last time he was in the city. It must have been a recently founded institution - the paint on the facade of the building didn’t look as faded as the older buildings’ facades did. But it did have a reputation; the cab driver he had asked to bring him there called it “the newfangled building housing mad scientists”.

And mad scientists were just what he needed, for his plans.

He paid the fare to the cab driver, and then looked up at the Society before him. Ibarra had to slip completely back into the persona he had made for himself, the facade of the jeweler named Simoun, so he could face the founder of this Society, and the mad scientists within. Though he did wonder, if he could get the aid of the scientists within through the power of persuasion.

And if not persuasion, well...there was nothing the promise of money couldn’t fix.

He stepped up to the door, and rang the doorbell to alert the staff of his presence at the door. Ibarra - no, Simoun - brought his hands together and cracked his knuckles in anticipation, before adjusting his large, blue-tinted glasses. It wasn’t long before one of the staff got the door, and he was ushered inside the Society.

Once he set foot inside the main hall, he didn’t know what to expect.

But having something land on his hat was not among the many possibilities he had envisioned.

A meow sounded as the thing fell on his hat, and he had a split second to register that it was probably a cat that fell on him before he looked up. He felt a paw on his hairline - but he saw no paw. He reached a hand up, and patted the shape upon his hat. It was definitely warm and furry, and he was hearing a few more meows. So why didn’t he see anything…?

“Eira!” a voice yelled, just as the invisible cat jumped into Simoun’s arms. He looked back in front of him, and saw a woman looking around the main hall, before her eyes settled on him. When she did, the invisible cat let out a loud meow.

The woman let out a sigh of relief. “There you are!” she said, running up towards him. “Come here, Eira!”

Simoun looked down, and felt the invisible cat jump out of his arms. Presumably it had landed in the woman’s own arms - she laughed and cooed as if it did. After a moment, she looked up at Simoun, and he put his polite face on.

“Sorry about that, sir; Eira just has a habit of coming towards anyone new,” the woman said.

“Are you referring to...an invisible cat?” Simoun asked, clearly lost for words, and so early in the day too.

As if on cue, the cat began to fade into view - it was a white cat whose fur color bordered on cream, and it looked very much at home in the woman’s arms. The woman nodded, and cradled the cat closer. “Yes. Don’t worry, she’s only invisible sometimes.”

Simoun wondered if that was supposed to be meant as a comfort. He cleared his throat, and then put his hands behind his back. “So that’s your cat?” he asked.

She shook her head. “No, not really; just looking for her for a friend. He figured we could cover more ground.”

“He?”

Before the woman could elaborate, though, someone came down the large stairs leading down to the main hall. The woman looked toward this person, and Simoun automatically looked up as well.

The first thing Simoun noticed about the person coming down the stairs was that he seemed to sparkle like the jewels Simoun handled. And not in a metaphorical sense, no. He actually had sparkles coming from his being. As if that wasn’t enough to catch the eye, he wore a sharp suit with a red waistcoat and cravat, and beamed at him.

“Sir, I am dreadfully sorry for coming to you only now,” the man said. “Forgive me.”

Simoun smiled politely once more. “No worries, sir,” he said. “I haven’t been waiting long.”

The woman looked from Simoun to the newcomer. “Yes, Doctor, Eira’s been welcoming him for us.”

“Is that so?” The newcomer extended a hand. “But I believe we’ve gone long enough without a face-to-face introduction. Dr. Henry Jekyll, at your service.”

Simoun accepted the hand, shaking it firmly. “Simoun Ambrosio,” he said.

“You said in your letter that you were interested in coming to the Society,” Jekyll said, releasing his hand. “Here to take a gander at the wonders of rogue science?”

“Here to perhaps...offer a helping hand.” Simoun raised his eyebrows. Then he reached upwards and stroked his goatee. “The word around London is that you need funding for this Society.”

“Don’t take it as a call to pity us,” Jekyll said. “But if you want to lend some funds, any amount would be welcome.”

“He wants the money,” the woman said offhandedly, stroking the cat as it purred.

Jekyll laughed nervously. “Forgive me.” He gestured to the woman. “This is Miss Lily Lavender, the junior extremofaunic zoologist.”

“Zoologist?” Simoun said, turning to Lavender. “You said you didn’t own the cat.”

“I don’t; she belongs to the disapparative biochemist Jack Griffin,” Lavender explained. “My work deals with more horrific creatures.”

Jekyll then nodded. “Yes, thank you, Miss Lavender.” He looked back to Simoun. “I suppose you want to have a tour of the Society?”

Simoun smiled, a glint in his eye. He could see possibilities here. “Of course, Dr. Jekyll,” he said. “I suppose you don’t want to linger for long here, either.”

* * *

 

 

And give him a tour of the Society, Jekyll did.

He showed him all the labs and all the scientists that happened to be within the labs. So far Simoun had found it all rather quaint; he met the biochemist Griffin, but found that the man had little success in his experiments. There went an interesting strategy for his plans. And still some others dabbled in things like confectionery and strange plants. He didn’t consider those too useful - but he did have to take note of the detonative homeopath Luckett and the phlogistonic pyrologist Sinnett. Not to mention the various devices that the entomologic intelligencer Flowers made would probably come in handy, as well as the chemicals that the junior neoalchemist Ito brewed.

And why?

“Well, all this is very interesting, Dr. Jekyll,” Simoun said, putting his hands behind his back yet again as they walked down the hallway. “I think I find it rather fascinating how you’re able to fit all of these scientists under one roof.”

“Oh, believe me, it’s no easy feat.” Jekyll waved a hand. “Of course, though, I have it under control. These Lodgers have everything that they could ever need here.”

“And I believe I may have something your scientists need as well.” Simoun said. “Of course, if you are willing to accept it.”

Jekyll looked at Simoun. “Do you mean funding?”

Simoun nodded. “Of course I mean funding. It’s what I can provide as a jeweler and a fellow interested in science, of course.”

He then sighed wistfully. Somehow he was sure that the old him, Crisostomo Ibarra, would be filled with wonder at such a place. And he wouldn’t be plotting to have the scientists within assist him in his plans - oh, no, it would just be about the funding he could afford between returning to the Philippines and starting a school.

Those were the days of a young idealist.

Those were the days of a pitiful, foolish man.

He didn’t notice someone walking up to them until that person stopped, and in turn Jekyll stopped. Simoun stopped as well, and saw a young man carrying a few aconite flower bulbs, with a strange machine attached to it.

“Oh, hey, honorable founder!” the young man said, and it was clear he was addressing Jekyll. “Careful, I was just going to bring this aconite to mine and Bird’s lab.”

“Well, you should be the careful one, you’re the one holding it,” Jekyll said pleasantly. He then gestured to Simoun. “I don’t believe I’ve introduced you to our visitor.”

The young man then looked at Simoun. “Oh, hello!” he greeted brightly. “Mr. Christopher Archer, botanical clockwork engineer. I would shake your hand, but as you can see, I’m holding poisonous flowers.”

Simoun tilted his head just the slightest. “Mr. SImoun Ambrosio. Nice to meet you,” he replied.

There was someone this young man reminded him of…

Oh, right. Himself, back when he was younger.

He then decided to get back to the conversation. “Botanical clockwork engineer? Can you explain it for me?”

“Well,” Archer said, “it means I make clockwork machines for plants.”

“For...plants.”

“Yeah.” Archer nodded. “Why?”

An incredulous smile played at Simoun’s lips. “Nothing, nothing,” he said. Then he looked away. “ _ Walang silbi ang itong larangan ng agham, _ ” he muttered.

Jekyll looked confused. “...What?” he asked.

Simoun looked back at them. Classic, give them a backhanded statement in another language so they wouldn’t figure out what it meant. He looked from Jekyll’s face to Archer’s, and Archer looked...miffed.

“ _ Kung meron kang sabihin, sabihin mo sa wikang Ingles, _ ” Archer said, in fluent Tagalog.

This time, it was Simoun’s turn to look confused. “ _ Maaari ka bang magsalita sa wikang Tagalog _ ?” he continued, still in Tagalog, to see how he would respond.

“ _ Oo _ ,” Archer replied coldly. Then he cleared his throat, and resumed speaking in English. “I suppose I’ll be on my way, then.” He looked back at Jekyll. “Good day,” he managed to say a little brightly again, before he walked away.

Simoun stared after him, before looking back at Jekyll. “You have a native of the Philippine Islands in your Society?” he asked.

“I…” Jekyll looked a little unsure. “It’s to my knowledge that Mr. Archer has English blood as well as Oriental blood, but he doesn’t talk about that very often. I was actually surprised you two had a language in common.”

“I was surprised too.” Simoun said, before finally allowing a bemused smile. “But, no matter. Where was I?”

“You were talking about funding the Society,” Jekyll said.

“Ah, yes, I was,” Simoun nodded. “But I have a proposition to make, while I’m at it.”

“Oh?”

“If possible, I would like to make use of some of your scientists’ research.”

Jekyll eyed him a little warily. “What do you mean by that?”

“It doesn’t mean I’ll take their research for myself, if that’s what you’re thinking,” Simoun laughed. “I only want to see what they can do with their talents, in the field.”

“...Do you mean research grants?”

Simoun put his hands together. “Something like that.”

Jekyll put on a smile. “Well, we can talk about funding the Society in general first, and then talk about those research grants later.”

Something in Jekyll’s voice was tinged with suspicion, and Simoun didn’t like it. If Jekyll suspected something, then his plan could tumble. He couldn’t let it. So as he walked with Jekyll to the doctor’s office, he tried to think of ways to turn the scientists to his side as well, so Jekyll couldn’t refuse.

It wasn’t like he was going to take their research for himself and take all the credit. No, he was just going to make their research matter for something in his plans. That way, the world would see what they were capable of - what good they were capable of doing.

And what was his brilliant plan?

To start a revolution in the Philippine Islands against the cruel Spanish who still held power in the archipelago. Against those who took everything from him…

He held his head high, and took a deep breath. Then he looked over his shoulder, even though the person he was thinking about was long gone.

Maybe he should start with that Archer. No matter how his science fared in Simoun’s plans, Archer would understand where he was coming from, no doubt. He didn’t look as if he had lived in London his whole life, after all - surely he was witness to some of the abuses of the Spanish in the Philippines. And he could help Simoun turn the other scientists - if he was friendly with the founder Jekyll, surely he had a good relationship with his fellow scientists.

However this turned out, Simoun would find a way to make this work.

He always did.

**Author's Note:**

> “Walang silbi ang itong larangan ng agham” - "This branch of science is useless" (okay, I'm not entirely certain that Simoun would consider botanical clockwork engineering useless, but to be fair he's concentrating on sciences more relevant to his plans.)
> 
> “Kung meron kang sabihin, sabihin mo sa wikang Ingles" - "If you have something to say, say it in English"
> 
> “Maaari ka bang magsalita sa wikang Tagalog?” "Oo." - "You know how to speak in Tagalog?" "Yes."


End file.
